Cigar-making machines



H.,c."B. MACKENZIE ETAL 3,529,603

Sept. 22,1970

CIGAR-MAKING marinas 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1967 um c L m m1 .QLQQQQA W ,M.m%wa@w' sepi. 22, 19-70 c, ENZ EIAL $529,603

' CIGAR-MAKING MACHINES Filed Ja n. 16, 1967 r 3 Sheets-Sheet a I I F/Gj 7 I42 I 48 46 I l I40 IN VE/V 7 Sept. 22, 1970 H. c. B. MACKENZIE ETAL 3,529,603"

CIGAR-MAKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1967 3 sheets-sheet s United States Patent 3,529,603 CIGAR-MAKING MACHINES Hector C. B. Mackenzie, Noble Tree Cross House, Hildenborough, Kent, England; Robert S. L. Berkeley, 131 Abbotsbury Road, London, W. 14, England; and John M. W. North, 37 Great Cumberland Place, London, W. 1, England Filed Jan. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 609,432 Int. Cl. A24c 1/02, 1/04, N32

US. Cl. 131-20 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous rod machine for the high speed manufacture of cigars is provided wherein tobacco is formed into a continuous filler stream and Wrapped with recon-' stituted tobacco sheet to form a rod after which the rod is cut into appropriate lengths. Means is provided for compressing regularly spaced portions of the tobacco rod to reduce the cross-section thereof such that each individual cigar is formed with a tapered endv Means may be provided for reducing the amount of tobacco in the filler at those portions Where the rod is compressed. Curved V slits having the appearance of a wide-V when viewed transversely of the wrapper are cut in the wrapper prior to forming the rod to facilitate Wrapping the Wrapper about the reduced section portion of the cigar rod without creasing. The curved V slits alternately face in opposite directions across the width of the wrapper.

This invention relates to cigar-making machines and in particular to a continuous rod machine for the high speed manufacture of cigars.

During the manufacture of cigars it is normal for a cigar filler to be fed and cut into lengths which are subsequently individually wrapped with specially cut and shaped tobacco leaf to form the individual cigars. In many cases the tobacco filler is first wrapped into tobacco leaf to form a bunch which is subsequently wrapped with high class leaf to form the final cigar with a good quality external appearance. Because of the necessity individually to wrap the bunch or filler to form each cigar, these prior methods of manufacturing cigars are nesessarily slow and cumbersome.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for the manufacture of cigars at a high speed in a continuous manner by forming at continuous rod of wrapped tobacco and cutting this rod into lengths, the wrapper for the tobacco preferably comprising a band or tape of reconstituted tobacco sheet. Such tobacco sheet is manufactured in a manner similar to the manufacture of paper, utilizing finely divided tobacco fibres instead of the conventional cellulose fibres used in paper manufacture.

According to the invention, there is provided a continuous rod machine for the high speed manufacture of cigars comprising means for forming tobacco into a continuous filler stream and means for enveloping the filler stream with a continuous wrapper of tobacco, preferably reconstituted tobacco sheet, to form a wrapped tobacco rod, cutting means being provided for cutting the wrapped rod into lengths. Preferably means are provided for compressing regularly spaced portions of the tobacco rod to reduce the cross-section thereof whereby each individual cigar is formed with a tapered end. Desirably, in order to prevent the reduced end section of a cigar from being too densely packed with tobacco, means are provided for reducing the amount of tobacco in the filler at those portions where the rod is subsequently compressed.

Conveniently the means for compressing the rod may comprise split dies adapted to be brought into engageice ment with the opposite sides of the rod. Preferably the dies are given a rotational movement about the rod so as to smooth the wrapper neatly around each reduced section portion of the cigar rod. Advantageously the die may be formed in four sections arranged as two pairs positioned axially of the rod, means being provided for rotating the two pairs of coacting die sections in opposite directions about the rod to smooth the wrapper about the reduced section portion thereof without applying a torque to the cigar rod.

In one embodiment of the invention the dies comprise split ledgers at a cut-off station in the machine where the wrapped rod is divided into double length cigar portions. Alternatively, the dies may be mounted at a work station either downstream or upstream of the cut-oflY ledgers where the wrapped cigar rod is divided into double cigar length portions.

Instead of the split dies a coacting pair of rolls may be provided for shaping the portions of the cigar rod having a reduced cross section. Conveniently the rolls may comprise flanged discs so shaped at their periphery that the space between the discs is adapted to receive the cigar rod, portions of the periphery of the discs being so shaped as to co-operate to compress spaced portions of the cigar rod passed therebetween. Desirably two pairs of rolls are provided spaced along the cigar rod, the axes of one pair of rolls being at right angles to the axes of the other pair of rolls whereby the plane of action of one pair of rolls on the cigar rod is at right angles to the plane of action of the other pair of rolls. Suitably the first pair of rolls may be adapted to apply a preliminary deformation and the second pair to apply a finished shape to the reduced section mouthpiece portions of the cigar rod. With this embodiment the first pair of rolls may conveniently be adapted to apply adhesive to the Wrapper.

It is preferred that means be provided for providing slits in those portions of the wrapper which are deformed about the reduced section portions of the cigar rod, such slits being so shaped as to facilitate wrapping of the wrapper about the reduced section portion of the cigar rod Without creasing. The slitting means, which may conveniently comprise rotary cutting knives or a pair of coacting slitting rolls, are preferably adapted to form curved slits having the appearance of a wide V when viewed transversely of the wrapper, such curved V slits being alternately facing in opposite directions across the Width of the wrapper. Although this is the preferred form of the slits, it will be appreciated that other forms of slits may be used to form the required smooth, tapered cigar ends.

Whereas cigars manufactured as referred to above would resemble normal cigars in shape, they might be expected to be at a disadvantage in some sections of the market where customers are used to the spiral wrapped appearance obtained with the previous conventional methods of cigar manufacture. This problem may be overcome by embossing diagonal lines on the cigar wrapper before it is wrapped around the filler to form the cigar rod. Thus it is preferred that the machine of the present invention be provided with embossing means, such as coacting pressure rolls, for impressing spaced diagonal lines on the wrapper before it is wrapped around the filler whereby the finished cigar will be given the appearance of a conventional spirally wrapped cigar.

The invention also provides a process for the manufacture of cigars which comprises forming tobacco into a continuous filler stream, enveloping the filler stream with a continuous wrapper of tobacco to form a wrapped rod, and cutting the wrapped rod into lengths. Preferably the tobacco rod is compressed at the centre of a cut-off double cigar length of wrapped rod to reduce the crosssection thereof. Suitably the wrapper may be embossed with diagonal lines so that the wrapped cigar rod will be given the appearancce of a conventional spirally wrapped cigar. This embossing, which takes place before the wrapper is applied to the filler stream, many conveniently take place immediately before being applied to the filler stream although in many instances it may prove preferable initially to emboss the wrapper as a separate operation, possibly at the time of manufacture of the Wrapper.

A further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for forming reduced mouthpiece end sections on cigars, such apparatus comprising means adapted to compress a portion of a cigar rod to shape the compressed portion to form a tapered mouthpiece end section for a cigar, the compressing means being so constructed as to be adapted simultaneously to shape facing mouthpiece end sections in the centre of a double cigar length cigar rod.

The invention will be described in greater detail, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a continuous rod cigar-making machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a cigar showing its tapered mouthpiece end;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a wrapper showing the shape of slits pierced therein;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show in detail the die arrangement for compressing the centre portion of each double cigar length;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show slitting apparatus for forming perforations in the tobacco sheet wrapper; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 show in detail means for embossing the wrapper.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated therein a continuous rod cigar-making machine operating from right to left as seen in the drawing. A feed hopper 1 is provided for feeding tobacco onto a filler band 2 to form a filler stream which is passed to a suction band 3 to the undersurface of which the tobacco filler is held by suction applied internally of the suction band. Partway along the suction band trimmer discs 4 are provided for controlling the amount of tobacco in the filler stream. A conveyor is provided for conducting tobacco removed from the filler stream by the trimmer discs back to the hopper 1. The suction band 3 is adapted to deposit the filler onto a wrapper tape supported upon a garniture tape 7 which carries the wrapper and filler through the garniture 8 where the wrapper is wrapped around the filler, has adhesive applied thereto by a main-lap paster 9 and is finally stuck down to form a continuous cigar rod by the action of heater 10. The cigar rod then passes through scanner 11 to a ledger and cut-off device 12 where the cigar rod is divided into portions equivalent to the length of two cigars. At 13 is shown an applicator for applying adhesive to the wrapper at those portions of the cigar rod which are subsequently to be formed into the reduced section tapering mouthpiece ends of the finished cigars. A pair of coacting die sections 14 are provided downstream of the adhesive applicator 13 for compressing the centre portion of each double cigar length section of cigar rod to form a portion having a reduced crosssection thereat. From the dies 14 the cigar rod passes to a station 15 comprising upper and lower compression bands and 21 and side rollers 22 and 23 adapted to act on the. cigar rod to give it a square cross-section along a major portion of its length. Backing members 24 and 25 compress respective runs of bands 20 and 21 against the cigar rod. Downstream of the station 15 is provided a rotary drum 16 having cigar receiving recesses about its periphery. A rotary knife 17 is provided for dividing the double length portions of cigar rod deposited in the recesses of the drum 16 into two individual cigars, a catcher conveyor band 18 being provided for conveying d to a packing station the individual cigars deposited from the drum 16.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a reel 5 of wrapper comprising reconstituted tobacco sheet, this wrapper is shown as being fed from the reel 5 to the garniture tape 7 via a rotary slitting or piercing knife comprising two coacting rolls 6 which are shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. The first roller 6a has an outer surface against which a projecting cutter 60 carried by the second roller 6b engages to cut the wrapper web passing between the two rolls 6a and 6b. The configuration of the projecting cutter 60 carried by the second roller 6b is shown in FIG. 8, the resultant cuts or slits in the wrapper web being shown in FIG. 3 which will be described in greater detail later.

During use of the apparatus tobacco from the hopper 1 is fed onto the feed band 2 to form a filler stream or rod which is subsequently picked up at the lower run of the suction band 3. The depth of the tobacco in the filler stream is controlled by the trimming discs 4 which remove the surplus tobacco from the filler stream. The discs 4 are so arranged that they remove an increased proportion of filler from the filler stream at regular intervals along the length thereof. Thus in order to do this the discs 4 can be provided with pockets whereby more tobacco is removed when one portion of the disc is in contact with the filler than when other portions contact the filler. These portions of the filler having a reduced amount of tobacco are spaced along the filler rod by a distance equivalent to the length of two cigars. A detailed description of the trimmer discs with the pockets is available in US. Pat. No. 3,032,041, issued May 1, 1962, to Raymond Lanore.

The filler is then deposited upon a wrapper tape which is carried by the garniture tape 7 to the garniture 8 where it is enveloped in the wrapper tape which is secured therearound by adhesive applied by the main-lap paster 9. The wrapped cigar rod then passes through scanner 11 such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,497, issued May 14, 1963, to Desmond Walter Molins et al. The mass per unit length of the filler rod is measured by a beta ray measuring device which serves in response to variations in mass per unit length to regulate or modify the position and operation of the trimming device and the rate at which tobacco is supplied to form the cigar rod. A conventional ledger 12 such as is described in either US. Pat. No. 2,752,741, issued July 3, 1956, to Desmond W. Molins, or US. Pat. No. 1,860,197 is provided for cutting the cigar rod into double cigar length sections. The paster 13 applies adhesive on either side of the cigar rod to the sides of the wrapper covering the portion of the cigar rod containing a reduced quantity of tobacco. The elements of the paster apparatus 13 are of a conventional nature.

The coating dies 14, the elements of which along with the elements of the means for operating them are conventional, upon compressing the centre portion of each double length section of cigar rod reduce the cross-section of the cigar rod while at the same time causing the excess portion of the wrapper at the narrow part to be stuck down by means of the adhesive applied by the paster 13. The die sections 14 are rotated with respect to the cigar rod during engagement therewith whereby the excess wrapper can be twisted and neatly stuck down to form the narrowed mouthpiece cigar portions. When closed the die blocks are face to face in a plane axially of the rod and provide a circular orifice tapering from the two sides to a smaller diameter at the centre line of the common face of the die blocks. The taper form of the die blocks is a female version of the shape of two finished cigars with their mouthpiece portions stuck end to end. During the passage of the non-mouthpiece regions of the cigar rod through the dies the two die sections are moved sufficiently far apart to allow the rod to pass through with out interference, mechanical motion being provided to close them on the central mouthpiece regions of the double length sections of cigar rod. During this period of closure the split die sections are arranged to travel in the direction of the cigar rod at the same speed thereas. This is simply arranged by carrying each die section on an eccentric arrangement.

As suggested above the dies are constructed to give an improved finish to the cigar ends by providing a rotational movement in addition to the movement to and from the cigar rod. The dies being divided along a centre line at right angles to the common face of the two diesections and being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cigar rod the die faces will always be kept in contact or at least very close together. With this arrangement the mechanism will be such that in addition to the opening and closing movements of the pairs of die sections on either side of the rod, equal and opposite rotary motion is applied to each pair of die sections along the length of the cigar rod so that a twisting or planishing action is provided on the cigar ends without any resultant torque being applied to the cigar rod. I

As well as providing a separate compression or die station 14, one of the ledger at the cut-off station 12 can be formed in two or more sections to act as the compression dies for forming the reduced section portions of the cigar rod. This is especially advantageous where both ends of the cigar are required to have a tapered configuration. Where compression of the cigar rod is obtained by use of a split die-like ledger the paste applicator 13 would necessarily have to be provided between the heater and the ledger 12.

It is particularly advantageous for the shaping of the ends of the cigars to be carried out at work stations before the cigar rod is cut as the continuous cigar rod is better able to support the deformation step, particularly where the forming dies are also rotated to improve the finish of the cigar ends.

Instead of dies 14 or equivalent reciprocating means for forming the reduced section portion of the cigar rod rotary means may be provided. Thus it is possible to use instead of the dies a pair of opposed rolls. Such rolls have the form of flanged discs having a thickness greater than the diameter of the cigar rod. The contour of the periphery discs are such that the space between the discs is adapted to receive the cigar rod, portions of the periphery discs being so shaped as to co-operate to compress the base portions of the cigar rod passed therebetween. This is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6 where the two rolls 39, 40 are situated one on each side of the cigar rod and are rotatable about vertical axes 41 and 42 respectively.

Each roll is formed with a circumferential substantially semi-circular groove 43 which has the same radius as the cigar rod to be formed. A tapered section 44 is formed in each of the grooves 43 in order to form the neck portion generally indicated by 45 (FIG. 4) in the cigar rod as the cigar rod passes between the two rolls 39 and 40. The circumference of each of the grooves is equal to twice the length of an individual cigar to be produced by the machine so that the neck 45 is formed at distances along the cigar rod equal to two cigar lengths.

The rolls 39 and 40 are driven by a driving pinion 46 through two gears 47 and 48 respectively. Mechanism is provided for driving the rolls in timed relationship to each other and to the cigar rods passing between them so that at appropriate intervals, depending upon the length of the individual finished cigars, the peripheral contour of the rolls intermittently crushes cigar ends inwardly into the conventional tapered month end shape.

In addition to this pair of coacting rolls 39 and 40 a further pair 139 and 140 may be used, the two pairs of rolls being spaced axially of the cigar rod, the axes 41 and 42 of one pair being at right angles to the axes 141 and 142 of the other pair whereby the planes of action of the two pairs of rolls on the cigar rod are at right angles to each other. With this latter arrangement using two pairs of rolls it is preferred that the additional and upstream pair of rolls 139 and 140 have tapered sections 144 which are not so pronounced so that a preliminary deformation of the cigar rod takes place while the pair of rolls 39 and 40 with more pronounced tapered sections 44 gives the finished mouthpiece end shape to the cigar rods, suitably the first pair of rolls can also be used to apply adhesive to the wrapper.

In FIG. 1 the square section of the major portion of the length of the cigars is shown as being formed at station 15. However, it is preferred that the square section be given to the cigar rod by having a suitable form for the garniture 8. In some circumstances it may, however, be desirable to provide the station 15 even when the garniture 8 is shaped to provide a square section cigar rod, the station 15 then serving to correct any deformation from the required shape produced during the formation of the tapered end mouthpieces of the cigars.

FIG. 2 shows the shape of a finished cigar while FIG. 3 shows at 19 the slits provided by the rotary knives 6 in the wrapper tape. These slits are shown at 19 as being curved with the appearance of a wide V when viewed transversely of the wrapper, such curved V slits alternately facing in opposite directions across the width of the Wrapper. While this is the preferred shape of slits for forming the shaped mouthpiece of the cigar shown in FIG. 2, it will be appreciated that other forms of slitting can be utilized depending on the means used for forming the mouthpiece ends of the cigars and the particular shaped mouthpiece end required.

With the arrangement of slits shown in FIG. 3, when the wrapped rod passes the paste applicator 13, the applicator 13 is arranged to press against the sides of the wrapped rod at the centre of each double cigar length portion thereof so as to apply paste to the shaded portion of the expanded view of the wrapper shown in FIG. 3. Due to the compression of the cigar rod towards its axis by the paste applicator the shaded portions of the wrapper are pressed inwardly whilst the unshaded portions are left protruding in essentially the same form as it had before the application of adhesive. Thus, when at the next station the forming die sections 14 are applied, the unshaded regions are brought down to overlap the adhesive shaded area and be stuck in the position required for a formed end cigar because of the overlapping of the adhesive area.

The appearance of cigars manufactured in the machine shown in FIG. 1 would differ from that of conventional cigars now sold in that the conventional method of forming cigars which use a spiral wrapping gives a spiral appearance to the outer surface of the cigar. An equivalent spiral wrapped appearance can be given to cigars made in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 by providing embossing means for embossing diagonal lines at intervals along the wrapper, web or tape of reconstituted tobacco. Such embossing means may conveniently comprise a pair of coacting rolls 47 and 48 between which the web is passed in its passage from the reel 5 to the garniture tape 7. The roller 48 has a projecting spiral 48a (FIG. 13) which coacts with a similar recessed spiral 47a on the outer surface of the roller 47 in order to form the embossed line on the web of reconstituted tobacco. With this arrangement the cigars could be made closely to resemble the lap lines of conventional rolled cigars. Additionally it is also possible to arrange the embossing means so that the web even more closely resembles genuine tobacco leaf by arranging for leaf veins and the like to be simulated by the embossing process on the reconstituted tobacco web.

It will be appreciated that while the invention has been described in relation to the continuous manufacture of cigars it is equally applicable to the manufacture of bunches which subsequently may be wrapped in high class tobacco leaf to form the final cigar and when referring to cigars herein we are intending this term also to include bunches.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A continuous rod machine for the manufacture of cigars comprising means for forming a continuous tobacco filler stream, means for slitting a continuous tobacco wrapper at positions spaced apart along its length to form curved slits having the appearance of a wide-V when viewed transversely of the wrapper, the curved V slits alternately facing in opposite directions across the Width of the wrapper, means for feeding the wrapper t the filler stream, rod-forming means to envelope the stream in the continuous wrapper to form a continuous wrapped cigar rod, paster means to apply paste to the wrapper at the slit positions, compressing means to compress and shape said rod at the positions of said curved slits in said tobacco wrapper to reduce the cross-section of said rod at said slit positions and to shape the rod into two facing tapered mouthpiece ends at said positions, and means to sever the rod to form cigars.

2. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for removing tobacco from the filler stream at regions spaced apart along the filler stream a distance equivalent to double the length of the cigars to be produced, said means for feeding the wrapper to the filler stream being regulated such that the slit positions of the wrapper will register with said regions of the filler stream.

3. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compressing means comprises a pair of opposed shaping rollers between which the cigar rod is received, the rollers being rotatable and each roller having a peripheral groove to form an aperture having a cross section conforming to that of the cigar rod, the peripheral groove in each roller being shaped circumferentially so that the aperture formed is progressively decreased and then progressively increased in size as the rollers rotate, the rollers being rotatable at a peripheral speed equal to the rod speed and in phase with the passage of double length cigar rods therebetween so that the midpoint of each double length cigar rod is compressed and shaped to form the two facing tapered mouthpiece ends.

4. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pair of opposed shaping rollers is preceded by a pair of opposed preliminary shaping rollers with their axes at right angles to those of said pair of opposed shaping rollers, the pair of preliminary shaping rollers each having a peripheral groove to form an aperture substantially corresponding to that of said pair of opposed shaping rollers and being driven similarly to the pair of of shaping rollers, the aperture between the peripheral grooves of the pair of preliminary shaping rollers decreasing on rotation of the rollers to a lesser extent than with the shaping rollers.

5. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising shaping means to impart a substantially rectangular cross-section to the cigars.

6. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the shaping means comprises a pair of spaced belts with adjacent runs spaced apart one desired transverse dimension of the cigars and means to drive the adjacent runs in the direction of, and at the same speed as the cigars, a backing member for each adjacent run to press the belts against the cigars, and rollers bearing on the exposed sides of the cigars between the belts and spaced apart the other desired transverse dimension of the cigars.

7. A continuous rod machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paster means to apply paste to the slit portions of the wrapper is provided downstream of the rodforming means.

8. A process for the manufacture of cigars which comprises forming tobacco into a continuous filler stream, cutting slits in a continuous tobacco wrapper at positions spaced apart along its length to form curved slits having the appearance of a wide-V when viewed transversely of the wrapper, the curved V slits alternately facing in opposite directions across the width of the wrapper, feeding the wrapper to the filler stream, enveloping the stream in the continuous wrapper to form a continuous wrapped cigar rod, compressing and shaping said rod at said slit positions in said wrapper to reduce the cross-section of the rod to form facing tapered mouthpiece ends, and severing said rod to form said cigars.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 further comprising removing tobacco from the filler stream at regions spaced apart along the filler stream a distance equivalent to double the length of the cigars to be produced and feeding the wrapper to the filler stream such that said slit positions in the wrapper will register with said regions of the filler stream.

10. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein said rod is compressed and shaped at said slit positions in said wrapper by passing said rod through an aperture which progressively decreases and then progressively increases in size whereby the cross-section of the rod is reduced at said slit positions in the wrapper.

11. A process as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rod is compressed by passing it through a plurality of apertures each of which progressively decrease and then progressively increase in size as the rod passes therethrough to reduce the cross-section of the rod at said slit positions in the wrapper.

12. A process as claimed in claim 8 comprising the further step of shaping said rod into substantially rectangular cross-section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,191 12/1899 Baker 1319O X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,454,356 8/1966 France.

SAMUEL KO'REN, Primary Examiner J. H. CZERWONKY, Assistant Examiner Us. or. X.-R. 

